Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Caraguatatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Caraguatatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $751 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,215 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,678 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Caraguatatuba is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$6.66 R$34.02

-48.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$26.36 R$135

22.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$6.83 R$34.92

-29.14%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.75 R$8.95

57.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.06 R$5.40

30.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.84 R$4.28

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.82 R$9.32

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.86 R$14.62

34.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.96 R$4.91

81.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.47 R$7.50

67.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.19 R$6.07

-1.68%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.69 R$8.66

43.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$5.43 R$27.77

167.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.95 R$15.07

47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$7.41 R$37.85

61.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.93 R$9.88

92.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.67 R$8.52

-2.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.33 R$6.82

106.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.69 R$8.64

32.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.14 R$5.85

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.75 R$3.81

204.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.61 R$3.13

73.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.69 R$3.51

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.79 R$9.12

83.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$6.72 R$34.36

245.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.32 R$6.74

110.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$2.00 R$10.23

36.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.87 R$4.47

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$20.96 R$107

-61.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.05 R$5.39

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.58 R$2.96

-27.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$3.14 R$16.07

98.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.07 R$5.45

-24.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$13.8K R$70.4K

93.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$26.2K R$133.7K

23.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$51.3 R$262

52.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$11.91 R$60.9

-65.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$20.56 R$105

18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$19.37 R$99.0

409.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$14.15 R$72.3

-55.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$7.39 R$37.77

-46.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$305 Rp 5.5M

$200 R$1,020

52.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$3,854 R$19.7K

72.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$50.6 R$259

6.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$55.6 R$284

-32.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$71.6 R$366

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.6 R$274

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$371 R$1,894

167.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$206 R$1,055

225.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$775 R$3,959

335.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$482 R$2,462

325.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$1,629 R$8,327

72.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,131 R$5,782

96.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$327 R$1,672

-48.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.15

62.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caraguatatuba pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $26.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $162 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ubud, Bali vs Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Caraguatatuba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $751 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Caraguatatuba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.